Members of a local Sikh temple continue to pray for the victims in Sunday’s deadly shooting at a Wisconsin temple.

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At the New England Sikh Study Center in Milford, members try to grasp what happened and comfort one another.

"I had friends inside the temple. (I) called them to check on them. It was really shocking,” said one local woman.

Police said a 40-year-old Army veteran, identified by a civil rights group as the one-time leader of a white supremacist band, was the gunman who killed six people inside a Sikh temple in Wisconsin.

First Assistant U.S. Greg Haanstad in Milwaukee later identified the shooter as Wade Michael Page. Page joined the Army in 1992 and was discharged in 1998, according to a defense official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release information yet about the suspect.

Authorities said Page walked into the temple in suburban Milwaukee and opened fire as several dozen people prepared for Sunday services. He was then shot to death by police.

Three others were critically wounded in what police called an act of domestic terrorism.

The Sikh religion was founded in India. Members said they are often mistaken for Muslims and since the Sept 11 attacks, violence against Sikhs has been on the rise.

At the temple in Milford, the community of faith is monitoring the news and condemns the violence but refuses to feel vulnerable or to make major security changes to a religion with an open door policy.

“The fact that someone could be filled with so much hatred that they would walk in and start shooting, it's appalling,” said Sarbprett Singh of the New England Sikh Study Center. “The fact that somebody here following the American dream would be shot because of their appearance is terrible.”

Harvey Lit, a local war veteran, said he has never been to the Milford temple but felt compelled to deliver a message in wake of Sunday’s tragedy.

“I brought small bunch of flowers to let them know they are part of their community and people do care,” said Lit. “I just think it's awful. People are so superficial. Need to be judgmental on people based on their looks.”

Lit said he could not come to grips with why a fellow veteran would do something like that.

“Myself being a veteran -- 28 years -- seeing one of our own do this is pathetic,” he said. “You don't have to be part of a religion or a group to feel the pain of humanity."

Members of the Milford temple will gather Monday night for a prayer service at 7 p.m. followed by a candlelight vigil.